


BBFL

by FreeShavocadoo



Category: HiGH&LOW (Movies), HiGH&LOW: the Story of S.W.O.R.D. (TV)
Genre: Agender Character, First Meetings, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Multi, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 16:45:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15538602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreeShavocadoo/pseuds/FreeShavocadoo
Summary: Bernie and Pearl reflect on their relationship, each other and what it took to get there. Everybody else speculates.





	BBFL

**Author's Note:**

  * For [byakuyakuchiki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/byakuyakuchiki/gifts).



Anyone would be hard pressed to get any alone time in the Funk Jungle, never a moments peace with so many people with zero semblance of personal space meant that there wasn’t really any concept of privacy or particularly well-kept secrets. There were a few that were kept relatively quiet, even if they were obvious to everyone except the two people in question.

Pearl had been attached to Ice since the beginning of the Mighty Warriors inception together, even if he hadn’t been a permanent face up until later on, he’d definitely made his presence more than known. He bounced well off others, had a great sense of humour and was rarely, if ever, seen upset or in a down mood. Though to an outsider, Pearl would seem relatively slow and unbearably frat-boy in his behaviour, Bernie knows differently. Pearl was always attentive to everyone’s emotions, knowing exactly when to reign in the perfect amount of affection and physical contact for them. Like when he’d hold Ryu’s hand because Ryu is touchy about physical contact when he’s upset, but he’d bear-hug Ice who loves the attention when he’s upset. He was always content with sitting and chatting aimlessly about things he didn’t even have an interest in, like when he’d first met Bernie and saw his computer set-up for his hacking.

 

_“Shit,” Pearl whistles loudly, leaning down to stare at one of the multiple screens in front of Bernie with a look of awe, “that’s quite the fuckin’ set-up you’ve got there.”_

_“This is only half of it.” Bernie turns around, the lights from the monitors illuminating his face, flickering across Pearl’s wide eyes and unabashed smile. Bernie thinks he’s one of the most beautiful men he’s ever seen, even by his standards._

_“So, what have they got you doin’ locked up here, princess?” Pearl sits on the edge of the desk, glancing around before staring back at Bernie with a small grin, his eyes crinkling in just the right way, his eyes seeming to twinkle. Bernie loves attention and though Ice gives him a fair amount, there’s just something better about the way he’s currently being flirted with, like it’s both on the precipice of something and just light-hearted at the same time. Bernie could get used to this._

_“Waiting for a prince.” Bernie replies, swinging around on his chair dramatically, with the back of his hand across his forehead._

_“Oh, yeah? He’s here.” Pearl grins, standing up to bow mockingly, winking._

_“Does my prince have a name?” Bernie giggles, enjoying being able to play off someone else’s bizarre and cringe-inducing behaviour instead of being looked at like he’s a complete idiot._

_“Pearl.” He replies, taking Bernie’s hand and kissing it, his eyes flickering up to Bernie’s and crinkling more, like he couldn’t smile as much as he wanted to, even if he tried._

_“Oh-,” Bernie temporarily loses his mental functioning, wondering where exactly Ice had kept this blonde-haired piece of heaven this entire time, whilst he’s been locked up in a room staring at computer screens, “Bernie. I’m Bernie.”_

_“Nice to meet you, Bernie I’m Bernie.” Pearl chuckles, standing up properly now, moving his bandana from around his neck to tie on his head instead, putting his sunglasses back on. “I gotta run but, you and me should try spin some shit together sometime. Ice tells me you’ve got a good ear.”_

_“The best.” Bernie laughs, waving as Pearl exits and watching him walk away until his eyes couldn’t quite reach that far, wondering why exactly he was only being introduced to Pearl now. He really ought to have a word with Ice about being more forthcoming about beautiful new members of Mighty Warriors._

Bernie, comparatively, was the life of Mighty Warriors. All of the noise, the laughter and the joy came from Bernie, standing at 5’8 and still a head above everyone else by noise accumulation alone, bouncing from person to person with infectious laughter and a charming smile. Pearl is certain that he could probably draw Bernie’s face from memory, each small freckle and dimple. It’s easy to get lost in a smile you have no intention of escaping from and it’s like Bernie subconsciously knew how deep Pearl was, always moving an arm around him or kissing his cheek, eyes always staring and never leaving. Pearl was hardly a diehard romantic or monogamous by nature, but if Bernie asked him to be, he knows he would. There were few things he could ever refuse Bernie for and Bernie knew it.

 

_The house is littered with cd’s and vinyl’s, headphones lying around along with endless sheets of lyrics. Most surfaces have managed to crowd with random items at this point, no doubt as a result of so many people living in a small area with little regard for what was considered a ‘mess’ and what was conveniently within reach. The sound of music in the background was constant, varying volumes depending on the perpetrator and the time of day. Currently, it was late at night and the background noise was a low buzz, bass still thumping softly from where Pearl was sprawled on one of the many couches, smoking. He takes time to appreciate the relief in his back and ribs from being able to rid himself of the usual compression that sometimes made it difficult to sit or breathe properly, opting for a few soft layers and a large sweater. It’s soft and the feeling of being able to stretch out is amazing, letting out a loud noise of contentment until a soft ‘oooh’ breaks him from his reverie. Bernie is perched on the arm of the couch Pearl is stretched across, staring at him with wide eyes._

_“Wow,” he breathes, fingers twitching slightly as he runs his fingers over Pearl’s ankle, even that small of a touch being enough to send a shiver up the back of Pearl’s neck, such a tender touch, “you look great, today.”_

_“Don’t I look great every day?” Pearl responds, smiling softly at the way Bernie seems to squirm at the maintained eye-contact, although his fingers don’t still in their rhythmic movements._

_“Always.” Bernie replies, with such honesty and genuineness that the wind is knocked out of Pearl’s lungs, a flush creeping across his neck even though he’d assumed his capacity for being surprised like this was long gone. Bernie’s shy smile only makes it spread further, his cheeks now burning._

_“Why today in particular?” Pearl questions, both in an attempt to turn attention away from himself and out of genuine curiosity. Bernie shifts a little again, deciding eventually to just sit on the couch and lift Pearl’s legs up to move them over his lap, tickling up his leg for a second before resuming his gentle tracing._

_“You just look good.” Bernie replies, looking thoughtful. “Do you feel good?”_

_“Yeah, I guess.” Pearl replies, stretching and yawning. When his eyes open again, Bernie is leaning entirely over him, having somehow managed to clamber over him silently, something Pearl never thought Bernie was capable of. His knees are either side of Pearl’s waist, his hands resting either side of Pearl’s head, holding himself up comfortably. He’s biting his lip, staring at Pearl as though he’s conflicted about something._

_“Bern?” Pearl’s voice is quiet, feeling that it would be weird to speak any louder with Bernie so close, which isn’t entirely unusual with the two of them, but this time it feels different. Especially when he’s got that kind of expression on his face._

_“I just-,” he starts, before biting his lip furiously again, usually an indication he was in very deep thought, “I know that it hurts, when you’re wearing your binder. I know it hurts when you have to take it off, too, but I’m glad that you can relax here for a while, without it hurting as much.”_

_Bernie’s rambling drifts off into silence and he looks nervous, clearly concerned he’s said something wrong or said too much, yet Pearl is overwhelmed with the urge to just squeeze him and never let him go, wrapping his arms around Bernie and practically pulling him down on top of himself, burying his head into Bernie’s neck and kissing it._

_“You’re perfect, Bern’.” Pearl mumbles, running his fingers through Bernie’s hair and enjoying the contented sighs he gets in return. He decides to take the moment for what it is, rather than for granted, kissing Bernie with deliberate slowness, taking the time to appreciate the way Bernie is receptive to every minor movement. The weight on top of Pearl is reassuring in a way, familiar, Bernie’s rushed movements to grasp onto Pearl’s shirt as he kisses him, all eager tongue and attempted finesse seeming to fit perfectly. Few things in Pearl’s life have fitted this perfectly and he’s grateful to have the time to truly appreciate it._

 

* * *

 

 

If Pearl were to try and explain his relationship with Bernie to anyone, he’d always come up short. Both were rarely adequate with words, preferring to speak with actions rather than outright describing their feelings. It had been years since their first kiss, years since Pearl had known the struggle of looking one way and feeling another. Money, central to the Mighty Warriors, had helped him in more ways than one. Bernie’s hot, gentle mouth dragging across the scars on his chest with his small hands holding Pearl’s hips had helped in another. It was hard to ever let the old thoughts that had plagued him whenever people’s hands had touched him in the past enter his mind when Bernie would stare at him like he was the stars in the sky. Regardless of whether he was staring down at Pearl with his neck tensed and arms taught, or if he was lay underneath him with his head tipped back and his chest rising and falling heavily with his nails digging into Pearl’s hips, Bernie always knew how to perfectly give and not just take. Even between Pearl’s thighs he finds time between his much-needed breathing to smirk and ask Pearl how he’s doing, even though Pearl is too incoherent to tell him to fuck off, even though Pearl wouldn’t be able to put it into words even if he’d wanted to. Even on the days where Pearl is tired, stretched out with messy hair and clothed only in boxers, Bernie would kiss down his stomach and tell him that he was _his_ , with more than enough marks littered across Pearl’s abdomen, neck and thighs to prove otherwise.

The icing on the cake came when Pearl rolled into their bedroom one day, smirking to himself with barely disguised glee, slamming the door shut behind him to wake a napping Bernie.

“What?” Bernie wails, lifting his head up from the pillow and staring back at Pearl with a disgruntled look that just comes across as impossibly adorable, his hair sticking up in every direction as he rubs his eyes sleepily.

“Nothin’,” Pearl replies, sauntering over to the bed with an even wider smirk, flinging off his neon jacket without a care in the world, leaning down momentarily to plant a kiss on Bernie’s head, “it’s your birthday next week, right?”

“Yeah!” Bernie perks up immediately, moving so quickly Pearl could barely track him, now seated at the edge of the bed, resting on his knees with a completely straight back. Pearl can barely contain _himself_ any longer and the sight of Bernie this excited does little to withhold these feelings for him.

“Happy early birthday, babe.” Pearl rolls his shirt up over his head slowly, stretching languidly and throwing it behind him. Bernie’s startled noise is choked, his mouth agape and his eyes wide.

“Are those-,” he groans.

“Yep.” Pearl replies, grinning as he moves closer to the edge of the bed, leaning into Bernie’s touch as his arms wrap around his waist comfortably, Bernie’s head resting right near his shoulder, staring downwards. Bernie’s gaze doesn’t waver, his pupils blown out wider than Pearl has ever seen them, only making the coil in Pearl’s stomach tighten.

“Nipple piercings…” Bernie sighs, dragging Pearl onto the bed, rolling on top of him with ease. “This is the best present ever.”

“Only the best for you, baby.” Pearl replies, kissing Bernie’s hand, wondering if it would ever be the case with anyone else that they’d consider giving pleasure to another person the best present ever. _Well, he’s the one who said he loved nipple piercings_ , Pearl thinks, _he didn’t mean on himself so that only left one other option._

“God, I love you.” Bernie whines, before all of his self-control flies out of the window.

Pearl wouldn’t have it any other way.

* * *

 

“What the hell are they _doing_ in there?” Brown wails, nuzzling his head into Pho’s neck aggressively until Pho pets his hair.

“I’m pretty sure we all know what they are doing in there.” Ryu replies dryly, their face stoic as usual until a small smile creeps across their face, indicating they aren’t being quite as biting as they may sound.

“I’d rather not _think_ about what they’re doin’ in there.” Jesse shakes his head, giving Brown a scathing look. "Great. Now I can't get it out of my head."

“It’s kinda hot though.” Ice replies, Ryu’s head snapping in Ice’s direction, their head tilting ever so slightly. “What? Nipple piercings are hot.”

“ _That’s_ what he was talking about?” Diddy laughs, Dixie shaking her head at him with a mildly exasperated but affectionate look on her face. “I’m fuckin’ glad, I though he said he was gonna pierce Bern’s nipples.”

Jesse laughs so loudly that Brown almost falls off Pho’s lap, only managing to retain his position because Pho’s arms quickly snake around his waist and hoist him back up onto his lap. Brown smiles adoringly, peppering Pho’s cheek with kisses and murmuring to him until he turns and gives Jesse a malevolent glare.

“Oh, c’mon,” Jesse continues to laugh, “it ain’t only me that finds the prospect of Pearl trying to pierce Bernie, who might I add is scared of needles, _fuckin hysterical_?”

“I didn’t know you liked piercings.” Ryu says thoughtfully, their head resting now on Ice’s shoulder, Ice stroking their hair.

“I dunno, just think they look really good.” Ice muses, staring into space at seemingly the exact same time as everyone else, as though they were all imagining the other people in the room with piercings all of a sudden.

“Well. Your birthday is pretty soon after Bernie’s.” Sarah’s voice is smooth as usual but her smile looks oddly devilish, her eyes twinkling.

“That’s a fair point.” Ryu nods at Sarah, their expression equal parts thoughtful and devious.

“Shit,” Jesse grins, “looks like Pearl’s started a new trend.”

“I hope so.” Brown sighs longingly, staring at Jesse, “I love your bellybutton piercing.”

“Good,” Jesse’s grin widens, Pho looking naturally suspicious already, “’cuz I went with Pearl and got my hips done too.”

“Fuck.”

**Author's Note:**

> For my dear Dylan, I hope this is what you wanted.


End file.
